Behavioral momentum and the Law of Effect

TLDR

Behavioral momentum likens the rate of a free operant under a discriminative stimulus to the velocity of a moving body, with resistance to change reflecting inertial mass and preference analogous to gravitational mass, thereby unifying learning strength and incentive value as a single construct shaped by reinforcement history. Studies using the momentum metaphor show that reinforcement influences response rate, resistance to change, and preference, offering insights for clinical interventions, drug addiction treatment, and self‑control strategies.

Abstract

In the metaphor of behavioral momentum, the rate of a free operant in the presence of a discriminative stimulus is analogous to the velocity of a moving body, and resistance to change measures an aspect of behavior that is analogous to its inertial mass. An extension of the metaphor suggests that preference measures an analog to the gravitational mass of that body. The independent functions relating resistance to change and preference to the conditions of reinforcement may be construed as convergent measures of a single construct, analogous to physical mass, that represents the effects of a history of exposure to the signaled conditions of reinforcement and that unifies the traditionally separate notions of the strength of learning and the value of incentives. Research guided by the momentum metaphor encompasses the effects of reinforcement on response rate, resistance to change, and preference and has implications for clinical interventions, drug addiction, and self-control. In addition, its principles can be seen as a modern, quantitative version of Thorndike's (1911) Law of Effect, providing a new perspective on some of the challenges to his postulation of strengthening by reinforcement.